There has always been a low-key rivalry between American and European automakers. However, that hasn't stopped American automakers from partnering up with their European competitors to build a model. The European-American partnership has given us many iconic cars over the years, including the Jensen Interceptor, De Tomaso Pantera, and Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada.
Of all the vehicles that have been built out of a European-American collaboration, the Shelby Cobra is arguably the greatest. The Cobra debuted in the '60s and impressed every gearhead with its gorgeous British design and raw American V8 power, which is why it's such an icon today. Let's explore ten quick facts about the Shelby Cobra.
10 The Brainchild Of Carroll Shelby
If you are familiar with the history of the American automotive industry, you've definitely heard of Carroll Shelby. Shelby is one of the greatest American automotive icons, having been a successful racing driver, automotive designer, and entrepreneur.
Shelby started working on cars from an early age, and by the early '60s, he had enough experience to establish Shelby American - a high-performance vehicle manufacturer. The Cobra is arguably the greatest vehicle built by Shelby American.
9 Gorgeous European Design
If there's one thing you can always expect from European automakers, it's gorgeous cars. The AC Ace is a perfect example of that. The Ace debuted in 1953 and was immediately lauded as one of the most beautiful cars of the '50s.
We love its beautiful front end with a gaping mouth and round headlights, rounded, flared arches, and overall body proportions. Sadly, the AC Ace was extremely slow, which is why Shelby stepped in.
8 American Power
In the early '60s, Carroll Shelby wrote to AC Cars asking them to build him a sports car modified to accept an American V8 engine. AC obliged, and in 1962, they built the AC Ace 3.6 prototype. After testing and modification, AC sent the chassis to Shelby American in California, who equipped it with a Ford-sourced V8.
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The engine in question was a 4.3-liter V8, which was later upgraded to a 4.7-liter unit. The Cobra was equipped with other Ford V8 engines throughout its production run, with the best being a 427 cu in V8 blurting out 425 hp.
7 Originally Supposed To Use A GM Engine
Carroll Shelby initially wanted the Cobra to use a Chevrolet engine. However, when he asked Chevy to provide the engines, they declined as they didn't want to build a car that would steal a share of the Corvette's market.
Thankfully, Ford wanted to build a Corvette competitor at the time, so they promptly agreed. Ford also happened to have a brand new V8 engine that was perfect for the job.
6 A Spartan Interior
When Shelby was building the Cobra, his main concern was how fast it was, not how nice it would be to sit in. As such, the Cobra has a no-nonsense interior with just two seats, a diminutive glove box, a bit of space behind the seats, and a bunch of gauges on the dash.
It also didn't have a radio or air conditioning system. All buyers got was the chance to drive it, and that's enough in our opinion.
5 America’s Fastest Car Of The Day
In 1965, Shelby introduced the Cobra Mark III with several upgrades over the previous version. Dubbed the Cobra 427, this upgraded Cobra was designed in cooperation with Ford in Detroit and had a new chassis, wider fenders, a large radiator opening, and coil spring suspension all around.
It also had an upgraded engine - a 7.0-liter Ford FE V8 engine with a single four-barrel 780 CFM Holley carburetor. With an output of 425 hp, the Cobra 427 had a top speed of up to 160 mph, making it the fastest American car of the day.
4 The Extreme Super Snake
The Cobra 427 was super fast, but Shelby still felt it had the potential to be a lot faster. So in 1966, Shelby decided to convert the competition Cobra into a special model called the Supersnake or, as Shelby liked to call it, the "Cobra to End All Cobras."
Shelby installed a 7.0-liter V8 under the Super Snake's hood and added a pair of superchargers, giving it an output of over 800 hp. Shelby built only two Super Snakes and gave one to Bill Cosby. Only one survives, and it was recently sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction for an insane $5.5 million.
3 A Rare Collectible
The Cobra is not a sports car you're likely to see often, as it's among the rarest American cars. Shelby American only assembled 998 Cobras until 1968, most of which were the less desirable 260/289 roadsters.
Only 348 were the much-loved 427s, and very few of them survive to this day. The rarest of all Cobras is the Super Snake above, as only one exists today.
2 It Costs Millions
The Cobra is a British-American icon with a gorgeous design, lots of power to play with, and exclusivity as fewer than 1,000 examples exist. Of course, that doesn't come cheap.
The Cobra is always among the top sales at any auction. Prices can range depending on the type of Cobra, mileage, condition, and other factors, but most of them are in the seven-figure range. For example, a 1967 Cobra 427 recently sold for a whopping $1.2 million at a Barrett-Jackson auction.
1 Over 60,000 Replicas Exist Today
Most American gearheads grew up dreaming of owning a Shelby Cobra someday. Unfortunately, that will never happen for most of them, as only a few original examples survive today and, as we mentioned above, you need deep pockets to own one.
However, if all you're interested in is the Cobra aesthetic, you'd be happy to know that there are over 60,000 replicas out there available at a small fraction of the cost of an original.